TAREE Panthers will host the annual Group Three Junior Rugby League gala day on Sunday at Taree Recreation Centre.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This will be for the grades from under 10s through to under 16s.
Games will start at 9am.
The season-proper will be underway from Saturday April 18.
There will be no play on Anzac Day with matches to be played on Sunday April 26.
Elimination and preliminary semi-finals will start on Saturday August 8 with the grand final set down for Saturday August 29.
A gala day for the under six to nines was played at Port Macquarie last Sunday. These age divisions are non-competitive.
Meanwhile well travelled Trent Green will have his first game with his junior club, the Wingham Tigers in three seasons in tomorrow's XX Trophies Group Three Rugby League pre-season game against Port Macquarie at Old Bar.
Green played a starring role in Wingham's premiership winning teams of 2002/03 and is a former North Coast representative halfback. In the years since he's played in a number of country competitions and is currently based in Nelson Bay.
"He's a mercenary,'' Wingham coach Stu Baker joked.
Baker coached Green in the Wingham juniors and in the club's 2002/03 premiership double.
Green will play five-eighth tomorrow. Baker confirmed Green hasn't had a training run with the side this year.
"But he'll be coming up here when the season starts for training,'' Baker said.
However, Baker tips that Green will play an important role for the Tigers as the season unfolds.
"Trent's played a lot of football under a lot of good coaches and his experience will be great for us,'' he said.
The Tigers will also have backrower Adam Dale available tomorrow. Dale, another club junior, has been playing with Singleton in recent seasons.
However Wingham will have a number of players involved with cricket grand finals this weekend.
"We really don't know what we'll have until the cricket's over,'' Baker admitted.
TAREE City's backline stocks have received a boost with the signing of former Old Bar player Daniel Morris for the Group Three Rugby League season.
Morris finalised details with the Bulls this week and is expected to be available for tomorrow's XX Trophies pre-season clash against Port City - ironically at his former home ground at Old Bar.
Morris was a member of Old Bar's premiership winning under 18 team in 2011 and came into first grade the following year.
However, his season was cut short last year becaues of a facial injury.
"He'll give us some speed out wide,'' Taree coach Paul Northam said of Morris.
"And Daniel can cover wing, fullback as centre, so he gives us a safety net as well.''
Northam admits the club hasn't a lot of depth in the outside backs, so signing Morris is timely.
Taree tackles Port City in the opening first grade game tomorrow from 2.10. The game was scheduled for last weekend but postponed until tomorrow because of rain.
Northam will welcome prop Will Clarke into the side. Clarke would have been unavilable last week. However brothers Joel and Paul Campbell will both be absentees.
The Bulls will take a squad of 20 into the clash.
Port City are expected to be one of the leading contenders for honours this year and have made a number of key signings, including North Coast representatives Kurt Lewis from Old Bar and Richard Roberts from Macleay Valley.
The Breakers missed a place in the semi-finals last year.